Free tissue transfer for skull base reconstruction - a review

Abstract

Evolutions in skull base surgery and reconstructive technique have given surgeons the confidence to resect and repair increasingly advanced skull base pathologies. Free tissue transfer (FTT) provides a versatile option capable of addressing numerous simultaneous reconstructive goals. This review highlights some of the nuances, challenges, and considerations of performing FTT for skull base reconstruction in the anterior, central and lateral skull base. This review combines the expert opinion of the senior authors with those of the field at large as queried through PubMed searches regarding skull base reconstruction and FTT. Reconstructive goals include separation of intracranial from extracranial cavities, obliteration of dead space, and protection of vascular and neural structures. Atypical vascular pedicle management is commonly needed, especially for endonasal and central skull base resection. Virtual surgical planning may be beneficial for complex bony reconstruction. Familiarity with common complications such as cerebrospinal fluid leak, nasocutaneous fistula, and inferior flap displacement, as well as associations for their development, can help plan the reconstruction to minimize morbidity.